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Michael Shirley at time of interview

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: Persian Gulf War, 1991; Grenada--History--American Invasion, 1983; Cold War
  • Dates of Service: 1981-1983; 1983-1989; 1974-1981; 1990-1997
  • Branch of Service: Navy
  • Service Unit/Ship: USS Princeton (CG 59); Service School Command, Great Lakes; USS Jonas Ingram (DD 938); USS Nimitz (CVN 68); USS L. Y. Spear (AS 36); USS Richard L. Page (FFG 5); Naval Recruiting District Columbus, Ohio
  • Battles & Campaigns: Operation Desert Shield; Operation Desert Storm
  • Location of Service: Norfolk, Virginia; Columbus, Ohio; Dayton, Ohio; Piqua, Ohio; Norway; Arctic Circle; Pacific; Mayport, Florida; Mediterranean; Persian Gulf; Pacific; Caribbean; Norfolk, Virginia; Caribbean; North Atlantic; Mediterranean; Dayton, Ohio; Great Lakes, Illinois; Vladivostok, Russia; Persian Gulf; Hawaii; Pacific; Long Beach, California
  • Highest Rank: Chief Interior Communications Electrician; Interior Communications Electrician Second Class; Interior Communications Electrician First Class
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/84385

View full service history

Interview / Recording

About this Item

Title

  • Michael Robert Shirley Collection

Names

  • Shirley, Michael Robert
  • Maldonado, Jose
  • Arabia Richardson
  • Federspiel, Bridget M.
  • Stivers School for the Arts
  • Brionna Femuels

State of Residence at Time of Collection Donation

  • Ohio

Headings

  • -  Shirley, Michael Robert
  • -  Cold War -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Navy.
  • -  Grenada -- History -- American Invasion, 1983 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Navy.
  • -  Cold War -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Navy.
  • -  Persian Gulf War, 1991 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Navy.

Repository

  • Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Gender

  • Male

Race

  • White

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • Cold War

    • Branch of Service: Navy
    • Service Unit/Ship: USS Nimitz (CVN 68); USS L. Y. Spear (AS 36)
    • Location of Service: Norfolk, Virginia; Caribbean; North Atlantic; Mediterranean; Dayton, Ohio
    • Highest Rank: Interior Communications Electrician Second Class
    • Dates of Service: 1974-1981
    • Entrance into Service: Enlisted
    • Military Status: veteran
    • Service History Note: The veteran maintained nuclear weapons storage and telephone systems. He was a part of the commissioning crew for the USS Nimitz (CVN 68).

  • Grenada--History--American Invasion, 1983

    • Branch of Service: Navy
    • Service Unit/Ship: USS Jonas Ingram (DD 938)
    • Location of Service: Mayport, Florida; Mediterranean; Persian Gulf; Pacific; Caribbean
    • Highest Rank: Interior Communications Electrician First Class
    • Dates of Service: 1981-1983
    • Entrance into Service: Enlisted
    • Military Status: veteran
    • Service History Note: The veteran was part of the last crew to decommission the USS Jonas Ingram in 03/1983 and participated in drug intervention operations.

  • Cold War

    • Branch of Service: Navy
    • Service Unit/Ship: USS Richard L. Page (FFG 5); Naval Recruiting District Columbus, Ohio
    • Location of Service: Norfolk, Virginia; Columbus, Ohio; Dayton, Ohio; Piqua, Ohio; Norway; Arctic Circle; Pacific
    • Highest Rank: Chief Interior Communications Electrician
    • Dates of Service: 1983-1989
    • Entrance into Service: Enlisted
    • Military Status: veteran
    • Service History Note: The veteran served during the 1983 Lebanon conflict and participated in drug intervention operations. He served as a nuclear power recruiter and prior service coordinator when serving in Ohio.

  • Persian Gulf War, 1991

    • Branch of Service: Navy
    • Service Unit/Ship: USS Princeton (CG 59); Service School Command, Great Lakes
    • Location of Service: Great Lakes, Illinois; Vladivostok, Russia; Persian Gulf; Hawaii; Pacific; Long Beach, California
    • Battles & Campaigns: Operation Desert Shield; Operation Desert Storm
    • Highest Rank: Chief Interior Communications Electrician
    • Dates of Service: 1990-1997
    • Entrance into Service: Enlisted
    • Military Status: veteran
    • Service History Note: The veteran was combat systems officer of the watch qualified. His ship was damaged from striking mines. The veteran also served as an instructor and course supervisor. He developed and coordinated the assembly of a shipboard trainer to enhance hands on training. He also served in the fleet reserve.

Materials

  • Video: DVD [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2012-04-20-2012-05-15; 2012-05-15)
  • Computer File: CD [1 item] -- Electronic file of photograph (collected 2012-05-09; 2012-05-09)
  • Computer File: CD [1 item] -- Electronic file of photograph (collected 2012-05-15; 2012-05-15)
  • Photograph: Digital print [2 items] -- Photographs (collected 2012)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/84385

Online Format

  • video

Additional Metadata Formats

Rights & Access

Using VHP Material in Publication or Exhibition

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. The Veterans History Project Collection includes oral histories along with documentary materials such as original letters, diaries, photographs, and memoirs.

Veterans and interviewers contribute these materials to the Library for scholarly and educational purposes, retaining any copyright they may hold. Therefore, permission must be obtained before using the interview or other materials in exhibition or publication. Researchers or others who would like to make further use of these materials should contact the Veterans History Project for assistance.

As a publicly supported institution, the Library generally does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot give or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute material in its collections. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item from the Library’s collections and for securing any necessary permissions rests with persons desiring to use the item.

Please contact us with questions.

Obtaining Copies of VHP Materials

In order for VHP materials to be duplicated, we must receive written permission from the interviewee for you to obtain a copy of the recording unless the proposed use is limited to personal use, research, or other uses permissible by copyright law. If the interviewee is deceased, their next-of-kin may grant written permission.

Please contact VHP for assistance if you need to contact a veteran for permission to use their materials in exhibition or publication, or if you have received permission from the veteran and need access to high-resolution copies of VHP collection materials.

Citing VHP Materials

Please use the following formats when citing Veterans History Project materials (substituting the appropriate name and collection ID number).

Materials as a whole:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Memoirs (MS02), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Transcript (MS04), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Correspondence (MS01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Recording:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Audio recording (SR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Video recording (MV01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Photograph:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH01), photographer unknown, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH03-PH14), Ralph Williams photographer, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Computer file:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Computer file (CF01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Artifact (AR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Shirley, Michael Robert, Jose Maldonado, Arabia Richardson, Bridget M Federspiel, Stivers School For The Arts, and Brionna Femuels. Michael Robert Shirley Collection. 1974. Personal Narrative. https://aj.sunback.homes/item/afc2001001.84385/.

APA citation style:

Shirley, M. R., Maldonado, J., Arabia Richardson, Federspiel, B. M., Stivers School For The Arts & Brionna Femuels. (1974) Michael Robert Shirley Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://aj.sunback.homes/item/afc2001001.84385/.

MLA citation style:

Shirley, Michael Robert, et al. Michael Robert Shirley Collection. 1974. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <aj.sunback.homes/item/afc2001001.84385/>.